Solar Exalted
Known also as the Lawgivers, the Solar Exalted are the champions of the Unconquered Sun. Once the masters of Creation, the Solars were betrayed and usurped by their trusted advisors and soldiers. Most Solars were unable to be reborn until recently, their Exaltation trapped in the Jade Prison, and the Wyld Hunt was organized to slay those few who did find a way to reincarnate. = The Deliberative = After the war was over, the Unconquered Sun chose to reward his scions with dominion over Creation. Within days of the war's end, the Solar Deliberative was founded as a council where all Exalted could have a voice, and serve as a collective driving force for the future of Creation. While the Solars became the Lords of Creation, the Lunar Exalted became their linked companions and mates. The Sidereal Exalted served the Deliberative as advisors, and the Terrestrial Exalted's ability to breed made them ideal soldiers. This time became known as the First Age, where Creation thrived and wonders of all kinds blanketed Creation. Unfortunately, it was not to last. = The Great Curse = Of all the Exalted, the Great Curse affected the Solars the strongest. Like a sickness, it grew unnoticed at first, slowly twisting the Solars' virtues into horrifying magnified versions of themselves. Where once there had been compassion there was corruption: valor turned to vanity, conviction turned to cruelty, and even temperance gave way to self-righteousness and malice. Eventually these flaws drove the Solars away from the guidance of their patron god, while the Unconquered Sun himself turned his face in return. = The Usurpation = In the face of this great corruption, the other Exalted could not deny the Solars rule was becoming harsher by the day. The Sidereal Exalted, using their mastery over fate, determined they had three options. Leave Creation to the Solars, which would eventually lead to the destruction of Creation. The Second option was to negotiate or restore the Solars to their former purity, though this option led to an uncertain future. The final option was to guide the Terrestrial Exalted in overthrowing their masters, completely eliminating the Solar Exalted from Creation. In the end, the Sidereals elected for this final option, as it was the only of the three that guaranteed Creation's continued (albeit diminished) survival. Over time, the Sidereals convinced the Dragon-Blooded that their only hope for survival was to overthrow the Solars. The Dragon-Blooded crafted their plans in secret, constructing secret artifacts and negotiating with gods until the time came. The first act of the Usurpation was by far the bloodiest. While almost every Solar in Creation attended a great banquet, the Dragon-Blooded and Sidereals ambushed the party, slaughtering many of the unarmed Solars in one fell-swoop. While several Lunar Exalted died with their mates, most had recognized the growing decadence from their mates and were not as quick to defend as they may have once been, most choosing instead to flee to the edges of Creation. Cut off from the center of their power, the remaining Solars' great powers and skills were not enough to withstand the combined Fate-weaving of the Sidereals and the seemingly limitless supply of Terrestrial soldiers. One by one the Solars were defeated. Though normally the Solar Essences would have been reincarnated through the natural process of death and reincarnation, the sorcerers of the Sidereals used powerful magic to draw the souls into an enormous construct they called the Jade Prison. The powerful artifact would hold the Solar Essences inside, preventing them from reincarnating and protracting the Usurpation into an endless war. When all of it was done, the Sidereals chose to simplify things for the new masters of Creation and removed themselves and all traces of their existence from Creation. As their final act before withdrawing, the Sidereals rewrote portions of history to cast the Solar and Lunar exalted in as dark a light as possible, establishing them as Anathema— mad with power and in league with demons. = The Return of the Solars = Though most Solar Essences had been trapped in the Jade Prison, a few Solars managed to elude capture long enough to escape that fate. Unfortunately, their souls found a different kind of torment, as the Dragon-Blooded Wyld Hunt mercilessly hunted and exterminated any and all Solars they could find. This reach was often extended by Sidereals operating secretly within the Realm. For centuries the Wyld Hunt was incredibly successful, preventing any major solars from becoming a significant threat. The Wyld Hunt, however, was swiftly diminished by the disappearance of the Scarlet Empress, as the political maneuvering of the Dragon-Blooded's Great Houses resulted in most of the Realm's troops being withdrawn to the Blessed Isle. The sudden drop in the Wyld Hunt's efficiency couldn't have come at a worse time for the Realm. About the same time as the Scarlet Empress' disappearance, the Deathlords set out to seize and harness the power of the Solar Exalted. Their attempt, however, was only half-successful. Approximately half of the imprisoned Solar essences were captured and corrupted, resulting in the birth of the Deathknights. The other half were able to elude capture, and within a year the Solar Exalted began manifesting across Creation once again. = Exaltation = Solar Essences tend to seek out individuals who are both extremely talented and ambitious, mirroring the greatness of the Unconquered Sun. Exaltation may manifest itself at anytime, though the Essences seem to attach themselves most commonly to young adults, manifesting in times of great emotional or physical strain. = Solar Castes = Dawn Caste The members of the Dawn Caste are soldiers and generals. Zenith Caste The members of the Zenith Caste are preachers and hermits. Twilight Caste The members of the Twilight Caste are teachers and sorcerers. Night Caste The members of the Night Caste are spies and assassins. Eclipse Caste The members of the Eclipse Caste are diplomats and couriers.